July 01, 2020

Manchin Statement On Reports Of Russian Bounties For Taliban Murders Of American Servicemembers

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement on the reports of Russia offering bounties for members of the Taliban to kill American servicemembers.

“One of the most solemn responsibilities of a public official who serves in an executive role, whether it be a Governor or President, is to protect and defend our servicemembers who are willing to die for our freedom. The brave men and women willing to sacrifice everything for America are our greatest treasure. They deserve a Commander-in-Chief who is worthy of their respect, their trust, and their confidence; a Commander-in-Chief who is as clear-eyed and committed to the mission as they are. At the end of the day, Democrats and Republicans have always agreed that our troops are not political pawns and national security is not a game.

“Yesterday evening I received a classified briefing on these serious allegations. Make no mistake, if this is proven to be true and the President was briefed on this and did nothing, not only did he fail our servicemembers but he broke his oath to protect and defend the constitution. It would be unconscionable to think that he did not immediately inform Putin that America would retaliate in the most damning way possible if these attacks – which could be considered an Act of War – continued against our troops. Beyond that, if the intelligence is accurate, the President should make it clear to every nation without a shadow of a doubt, that putting a bounty on American servicemembers will be dealt with in the swiftest and harshest way possible. We must hold Putin and the Taliban accountable for the lives of these Fallen servicemembers.”